Guest Post by BlueApples
Like many other Democrat run cities, Washington DC is no stranger to blowing taxpayer money on free handouts to push its progressive agenda. That tenet of its liberal agenda was exemplified by its Strong Families, Strong Futures program which doled out $1.5 million to 132 mothers struggling to make ends meet. Recipients of the no-strings-attached payments from the pilot program received $10,800 each with the option of a single-lump sum payment or 12 monthly installments of $900. While most recipients of the funds elected the latter of the two payment arrangements in a prudent decision to budget the financial assistance to pay bills and the expenses of everyday essentials which have become unattainable to many of them due to rampant inflation, one beneficiary of the program undermined those success stories with her avarice.
Canethia Miller, a 27 year-old mother of 3, blew through the nearly $11,000 taxpayer funded handout in a matter of a few months. Over half of the taxpayer-funded handout was spent by Miller on a luxurious vacation to Miami for herself and her 3 kids. In total, the trip cost her $6,000 including travel, lodging, dinners, and more, including buying each of her children 5 new outfits; one to wear for each day of their time in Miami.
Miller submitted her application to the program late yet was approved for the $10,800 payout nevertheless. Despite applying to the Strong Families, Strong Futures program on the basis of need, Miller had already been benefiting from several other social assistance programs. Her two-bedroom apartment was paid for through DC’s Temporary Assistance To Needy Families program which she qualified for by virtue of having children. The housing assistance covered her rent which cost a mere $120 due to already being subsidized. In addition to the free rent, Miller received SNAP payments for food and other groceries. Despite this array of assistance, Miller still rued her struggles detailing how groceries would only last her family the first 3 weeks of the month before she’d spent the entirety of her SNAP payments.
Miller’s circumstance was one shared by other recipients of the program. Yet, unlike them, Miller had wanton disregard for the opportunity the lump sum payment offered. Her lack of appreciation for the payout was summed up in the attitude she demonstrated in an interview with The Washington Post in which she shamelessly stated “I wanted to blow it. I wanted to have fun.” Miller opined that the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her and her family, giving her children the chance to aspire toward a better life. At least that is how Miller justified her decision when explaining the motive behind the luxury mansion tour she and her children took during the trip.
However, spending the money on her children wasn’t the only indulgence Miller took. She also spent $180 on a make over for the trip, including $180 to get her hair and nails done. After returning from the trip she finally put the funds to practical use by paying off bills and buying a used car. By then the whole lump sum of $10,800 had been spent given the vacation alone cost more than half of it.
Unfortunately for those other than Miller, her example creates irreparable doubt in pilot programs promising free hands outs to the detriment of those who actually benefit from them and demonstrate gratitude and responsibility for the life-changing amount of money they are given. Fellow Strong Families, Strong Futures recipient Erika James took a diametrically opposed approach to Miller. James, a working mother, spent all but the whole of the $10,800 she received on bills and the cost of everyday living. The lone exorbitant spending James made was spending $600 on her son Loyal’s first birthday party. When hearing about Miller’s reckless spending, James did rued not being more advantageous herself, stating “I think I should’ve took at least $200 and spent on myself. But every time I blink my eye it’s a bill,’ she said.
Yet fortunately for Miller, a brighter future lies ahead as she’s slated to start a new remote job that will pay her $30 an hour. With an eye to the future, she credits the Strong Families, Strong Futures program for improving her financial literacy. “A lot of communities in my area don’t know the financial gain of credit [or] saving for your kids; that’s why we’re broke. That’s why we don’t have nothing to pass down or no house to give down,” Miller stated.
Canethia Miller at her new $30 an hour remote job. https://t.co/nfggbuRj4z pic.twitter.com/Bl498XoizI
— Ginger McFall (@GingerMcFall) February 23, 2024
While Miller has proclaimed she has taken away a valuable lesson from her experience, hers is a cautionary tale highlighting the abuses that programs like Strong Families, Strong Futures are vulnerable to. Despite that, the lack of oversight exercised by these programs conveys that politicians promising free handouts in the hopes of casting a wider net for social services have learned nothing when it comes to being accountable for how they spend taxpayer’s hard-earned money.
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There is nothing new under the sun.
I guess $10,000 don’t take you as far as it used to. I coulda made 10 trips from Miami to DC on that same amount.
c’mon man she bought a used car too,sure that’ll last a week
As long as we are forced to support a sub human species thru the confiscatory tax theft this bull shit will continue to happen .
You want to help irresponsible unaccountable ignorant groups open your wallet donate to a church but never ever give a nigger piece of shit cash that was stolen from productive people !
It’s always them BOO BOO !
Trillions have been pissed away on blacks in America with nothing but debt to show for it !
The Black Americans that are respectable responsible people do not need this nonsense called help
Not to excuse the behavior, or the program, in any large group of any race there will be one knuckle-head who will do the same thing as that woman.
The nigga ho is rightfully taking advantage of stupid Whites. She deserves the right to take advantage of me because I have tolerated politicians stealing from me to buy votes. They aren’t afraid of me.
Living in D.C. there is plenty of opportunity to learn grift from the experts inside the beltway. $10,000 will buy a lunch there–she actually got more bang for her buck than the gummint would have.
Niggers and their programs .
Hah! All dressed up whore style an da bitch gots flap tits! Flap tits! They work for feeding the niglets but that be it and all, cover that nasty up!
Yet another argument pro-reparations.
/s
Our Govt. Divide and conquer (They win again).
STOP the BLAME game.
STOP DC!
If you want more of something, subsidize it. If you want less of something, tax it.
All of the illegal aliens are finding out about the subsidies they qualify for once they land on our soil, so we can expect to get a lot more of the world’s dregs looking for a handout.
The word is out in the Nuevo Democrat community about the NYC $10,000 giveaway. They’re all relocating to NYC. Which is a good thing for the rest of the country. Sadly a bit too late for Laken Riley.
When they collapse the system who is going to pay for them? Will I? Will you? This, just like the southern border being out of control is merely Cloward – Piven on steroids… The more you can bring in, the more crazy the situation — the more rapid the collapse.
And then, (((we))) privatized.
It is like an episode of the trailer park boys, when Ricky spent $10,000 on a set of encyclopedias.